


Sweet as the knack for happiness

by yuuago



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28397412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuuago/pseuds/yuuago
Summary: Denmark can hardly wait to spend his vacation with America. But as soon as America shows up, it's clear that he has something on his mind, and things aren't going to go exactly the way they planned.
Relationships: America/Denmark (Hetalia)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15
Collections: Fandom Trumps Hate 2020





	Sweet as the knack for happiness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tootmyCanute](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tootmyCanute/gifts).



> Written as part of FTH 2020. Thanks for participating; it was a pleasure. <3 Many thanks to Damoti for beta reading this. :D
> 
> Title comes from "Small song for the scent of balsam poplar" by Jan Zwicky.

Denmark bounced on his heels as he watched the arrival door, unable to keep still. The airport was busy, filled to the brim with noise and energy from people coming and going. The set of sliding doors kept opening, then closing, then opening again – but the one person he was waiting for had yet to come through.

For the first time in ages, he and America were going to have a vacation together. Nothing fancy: just a little bit of downtime, some peace and quiet at Denmark's summer home. It had been years since they had been able to spend some proper time together in private. Taking some time off to enjoy each other's company was the best idea that Denmark had come up with in a while, as far as he saw it.

The arrival door slid open once again, and finally - _finally!_ \- Denmark set his eyes on the person he wanted so badly to see. 

America rushed over to him, arms outstretched, flashing a broad but tired smile. There was exhaustion in his usually bright eyes as he pulled Denmark into tight a hug.

"Man," America said, letting out a sigh as he leaned against him. "Am I ever glad to see you."

"Yeah?" Denmark gave him a squeeze. "Well, you're here now." He listened as America took a slow breath. Felt him ease in his arms, settling close.

"I sure am."

"Long flight?"

A soft laugh. "You have no idea. Geeze, you really live too far away."

"But it's worth the trip, right?"

Instead of answering, America moved to cup his head, pulling him in for a deep kiss right there in the airport.

Wet and sloppy, but it was as clear an answer as could be. Denmark grinned into the kiss as he dipped America low, laughing as he clung to him to keep his balance.

They were off to a great start.

* * *

Denmark brought him home. Got him washed up. Put some coffee on. Settled down with him in the kitchen, all cozy and comfortable, afternoon light streaming in through the windows. "Here," he said, passing over a plate of buttery cookies. "To tide you over until dinnertime."

He got a grin for that, bright eyes lighting up. "You were prepared," America said, reaching for one.

"Couldn't wait." Denmark let a smile spread over his lips. "I've missed you!"

"Same." A long, deep sigh. "It's really good to -" He paused as a loud buzzing sound erupted from his pocket. A surprised, almost puppyish look passed over America's face, then he cleared his throat, offering Denmark an apologetic smile as he reached for his phone. "Uh, give me a sec, okay? I have to take this."

"Go ahead." Denmark nodded. "Doesn't bother me."

He waited while America checked his phone. Watched over the rim of his coffee cup, trying not to be too obvious about it, not wanting to make it weird. A look crossed America's face as he read the text, eyes glazed as he chewed at his lower lip, thumbs moving quickly as he replied. It was something like the look that Denmark had seen on him at the airport: absolutely and completely exhausted. 

That look was gone as soon as he sent the text, the tiredness melting away as soon as America set the phone down on the table, replaced in favour of that familiar smile. "Like I was saying," America said. "I've been looking forward to this for months!"

"You ain't the only one."

"Oh yeah? You've been waiting to -"

The phone buzzed again. They both looked at it.

"It's my boss," America explained as if reading Denmark's mind.

"D'they know you're on vacation?"

"Sure. But you know how bosses are sometimes."

Denmark nodded. Decided it was best if he didn't comment. He had his way of doing things, and America had his. That was all there was to it.

The important thing was that they were together – and would be for a while.

* * *

They went out together after supper, taking a long walk through the nearby park in the warm evening sunlight. The sky was still bright, as if it wasn't evening at all.

They held hands on the way back, long fingers linking together. Denmark had reached for him, taken his hand in his own, and felt himself get all twisty inside when he felt America squeeze back. It wasn't like he was a stranger to all this, but it never got old, either. 

What also didn't get old was the way it felt to have America beside him at night, fitting against him as if that was exactly where he needed to be.

Denmark pulled America close in spite of the warmth of the summer evening. They'd decided not to bother with pajamas, and it felt good to have him so close, skin to skin, even if he knew that later in the night the contact would be too warm for comfort. For the moment, America didn't seem to mind, sinking his fingers into Denmark's hair as he stole a long, slow kiss. 

"Rather not get into anything tonight," Denmark muttered against America's mouth as he drew away enough to speak. He nosed against his cheek, clinging to him a little tighter. "Okay?"

Roundabout though he'd put it, America quickly caught on to what he meant. "Sure," he murmured, gentling his touch to stroke at Denmark's hair rather than gripping it. He pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Just want to cuddle?"

"Just..." Denmark groped for the words. "I'd like to be close for a while."

They'd been far apart for way too long.

The next morning, after breakfast and coffee, they loaded up Denmark's car and headed out. After taking one look at America's tired eyes, Denmark smiled and suggested he sleep through the drive. "Don't worry about keeping me company. Looks like you could do with a little more shut-eye."

America had agreed – at least at first. He'd settled into the passenger seat, closed his eyes, and looked for all the world like he was going to doze off.

As soon as they were out of Copenhagen, America's phone started buzzing.

Denmark frowned. "It's pretty early in the morning at your place, yeah?" he asked, glancing at America out of the corner of his eye.

America didn't look worried, merely exasperated. "Yeah," he replied as he slipped the phone out of his pocket. "But, well... This'll only take a second."

Well, Denmark thought. There it was again.

Maybe it really was just that important.

The drive, luckily for them, was bright, sunny, cloudless, and quiet. America's phone remained still, and eventually Denmark was able to relax. Apparently there wouldn't be any more interruptions. He turned the radio on low and rolled the windows down, allowing a smile to play over his face.

It was tempting to talk. After missing America's company for so long, Denmark wanted conversation. But one glance at the passenger seat made him decide to let America rest. After yesterday's flight, he clearly needed it.

Denmark's summer home was a cheery little house in a sleepy village along the coast. He grinned as he saw its crisp, clean lines come into view. It was the kind of place that promised peace and quiet, and more than once, he'd brought friends and family there to get away from the stress and demands of who they were. But he'd never taken America here, not yet.

This visit had been a long time coming.

He woke America up with a kiss after pulling up the drive, smiling at the way he yawned and blinked up with those bright blue eyes.

"Are we there yet?"

"Sure are." He moved to ruffle America's hair, making it even more mussed than it already was from his nap. "You ready to go in, or should I leave you in here?"

America snorted and sat up, stretching a bit. "Nah, I'm good," he said, flashing a smile. "But how about you? Need help taking all your bags inside, old man?"

Denmark laughed. "Come on, I'm not _that_ old. Reckon I'll manage."

It didn't take them long to bring everything in, get themselves set up. Their suitcases went to the bedroom, set down side by side. Unpacking could wait, Denmark decided. First, coffee.

The kitchen was bright and just as spotless as when he'd left it. Denmark rested his palms flat against the kitchen counter, looking out the window at the familiar sight of the sea, while America put the coffee on. As soon as America's hands were free, Denmark pulled him close, pressing his face to his neck to breathe in the scent of soap and sunscreen. Familiar, warm, and just right. For a moment he clung to him, not wanting to let go, not yet.

"Tired?" America asked, sliding a hand along Denmark's side.

"Yeah. Early morning, y'know. And that long drive."

America laughed. "You call that a long drive?" He reached up to slide his fingers through Denmark's hair. "You should come to my place next summer. We'll go on a road trip!"

"What, like in your movies?"

"Yeah, it'll be awesome! I could take you to -"

He was abruptly cut off by a blaring ring.

America groaned. Slipped his phone out of his pocket. Frowned at what he saw there, brows knitting together. "Sorry, dude, I have to take this," he said, glancing at Denmark before slipping out of his arms and out of the door.

Denmark watched him go. Kept watching as the door gently swung shut and he heard the muffled sound of America talking. Then he sighed, shook his head, and poured himself a coffee.

He'd been so warm a moment ago.

He'd hoped that America would turn the thing off as soon as they got to the summer house and were officially 'on vacation'. Obviously, he'd been wrong.

So, Denmark asked himself, what next?

* * *

The next day, Denmark opened his eyes, then shut them tight as the sunlight hit him smack in the face. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table, then rolled over in bed and pressed his face to America's hair.

It was still early in the morning. No need to get out of bed. He felt America breathe in a deep sigh, then stir slightly, no longer asleep.

"You awake?" came America's groggy murmur.

"Nah." Denmark slid his arm around him and nestled closer, letting his eyes close shut as he cuddled up to that familiar body, luxuriating in the warmth of America's bare skin. They had spent a good deal of time the previous day walking around the village and the seashore, and had stayed awake late into the night having fun in bed, and he saw absolutely no need to be awake at an hour like this.

America's hand slid down, settling over Denmark's to squeeze it gently. "You sound pretty awake to me," he said, letting out a soft laugh. "You're not getting up?"

"Well, I dunno'." Denmark smiled to himself. "Maybe I'd like to stay in bed with you. How about that?" They did have plans for later in the day, but for the time being, they didn't have to do anything at all. As a matter of fact, they could stay in bed as long as they wanted.

"Hmm." By the sound of it, America was thinking on that, and thinking deep. "Sounds good to me," he said.

America's tone was lower, less sleepy and more hinting. So it wasn't a surprise when he squeezed Denmark's hand again and moved it further south, nor when he moved to settle more tightly against him, pressing his ass against Denmark's hips.

Denmark grinned. This wasn't what he'd planned, but he could take a hint.

* * *

The afternoon sun was bright. Out they went, sunglasses over their eyes and sandals on their feet.

Their lunches were in a rucksack slung over Denmark's shoulder, wrapped up in a thin blanket. After fooling around in bed all morning, Denmark had decided that they ought to get out of the house _sometime_ , and lunch by the sea sounded good to both of them.

The sun was high and cheery, the seaside lively with people who'd had exactly the same idea. The two of them avoided the sandy beach, opting for privacy rather than hanging around other vacationers, and headed over to the rockier part of the shoreline. It didn't take long for Denmark to find the spot he had in mind: one large stone, heaved up onto the coast ages ago, flat and smooth like a table.

They spread out the blanket and settled down. Denmark poured coffee into the lid of the thermos, and offered the mug to America. Then he settled back on his palms and looked out at the sea.

It wasn't the first time he'd taken someone to this exact spot. He knew these stones, and the way the water lapped at the shore nearby, and the salty sharpness of the air. But there was something else, something fresh and new.

"Feels different," Denmark said. "Bein' here with you, I mean."

"Oh?" America glanced at him over his coffee. "Not sure I follow."

There was a smile spreading over America's face, and as far as Denmark saw it, that was a pretty good indication that he at least had an idea of what he was getting at. "Yeah, it's like -"

The sharp, tinny music of America's ringtone cut him off before he could finish that thought.

America swore and set the coffee mug down, reaching for his phone automatically, as if he'd been expecting it.

Maybe he had.

Denmark took up America's mug. Drained it slowly. With the way things were going, he was going to need more coffee.

He tried not to listen to America's phone conversation. It was, after all, official business, and none of _his_ business, and it would all be over in a minute or two anyway. Instead, Denmark paid attention to the sound of America's voice and the way his expression settled on his face into something almost sharp. His voice sounded cheerful enough, and he smiled as he spoke, but there was a businesslike tone to it, a too-polished note in his voice that was so much different from the genuine happiness that had been there only moments ago.

Denmark looked away after a while, directing his gaze out to the water as he made some quick calculations in his head. It was around noon, and that meant it was early in the morning at America's place. Was that indicative of anything serious? He couldn't be sure. It didn't look like a good sign, though.

The call ended. Finally. America sighed as he shoved the phone back in his pocket. For a moment, neither of them said anything. The interruption had broken off the light, cozy mood that they'd had going. It left a heaviness between them, one big unpleasant lump that neither of them wanted to touch.

"Trouble in paradise?" Denmark asked eventually, offering him the coffee mug.

"Nah, not really. Just - oh, you know how it goes." America laughed. Took a sip. Shrugged. "Somebody wanted my input, that's all. I guess it couldn't wait."

Denmark grunted, wondering what kind of input they could possibly need when the work day over there had barely begun. "I have half a mind to throw that phone of yours in the sea, y'know," he said. He kept his voice light, but he was only partly joking.

"If you did that, I'd have to kick your ass."

America wasn't joking either, not quite, and that was telling. But Denmark decided not to push it. Annoying though the calls were, they didn't really matter all that much. Let's turn this around, Denmark thought. "You think you can take me?" he asked, flashing a smile as he looked over to America. "I'd like t'see you try."

It took half a second for America to catch on, but he did. Grinning, he latched on to Denmark in a move that was half hug, half headlock, ruffling at his hair and grinding his knuckles into his scalp. "Don't even think about it! I could take you down with my hands tied and my eyes shut!"

Denmark tried to pull him off, but he was completely caught and he knew it. No surprise there. At one time, he'd have been able to fight him off, but that had been long before America had any presence in his life.

That didn't mean he didn't have a trick or two up his sleeve.

America's laughter turned into a shriek as Denmark's fingers moved down his sides, slipping under his shirt to tickle him mercilessly. "Wait - stop, stop! Okay, I give up!" he gasped, finally letting go.

They both sat for a second, panting, cheeks flushed and hair mussed, the tension from the earlier moment forgotten.

"You surrender?" Denmark said, grinning as he swept his hair out of his face.

"Just this once! Don't get any ideas." Edging close, America stole a kiss, light and soft. For a moment he lingered there, nuzzling another kiss against Denmark's cheek before pulling away again. "Come on, man, let's have lunch. I need a sandwich or five after that."

"You ain't the only one. Hey, pass one over here, will ya'?"

Denmark couldn't help but smile. Even with the interruption before, it was fine. It didn't matter. What mattered was the sunlight, the sea air, and the fact that America was with him, and would be for more than just one night, or a few days. A little phone call couldn't ruin the moment, let alone their vacation, no matter how bad the timing was.

* * *

That call was only the beginning. Over the next few days, the pings from the text messages and the sharp tinny notes of the ringtone kept coming.

Even with all his good nature, Denmark's patience was starting to wear very thin. It was one thing for the occasional issue to come up; that was understandable, if annoying, and Denmark couldn't blame America's government for contacting him directly if it really was that important. But it was another thing when it was near-constant.

Cuddling on the sofa in front of the television? Ping.

A walk by the seaside? Ping.

In the middle of a game of chess? Ping.

With each interruption, they both became more tense. Denmark knew that he was an open book; he'd never been good at hiding when he was annoyed. But it showed in America's face too, the way his jaw tightened when he reached for his phone.

"You doing all right?" Denmark asked one evening, as he stood in the kitchen making hamburger patties for supper. 

America was sitting at the table, taking care of the mountain of emails that had apparently accumulated over the last few days. He'd cheerfully left Denmark to take care of dinner, saying he trusted him to make something that'd live up to his expectations. The cheer was gone from his face now, and his eyes had that tight look again.

"I'm fine," America said, the words coming out sharp and tense. "It's just business as usual."

Right, Denmark thought, not fooled one bit. "Really," he said, looking over at him. "I can tell when you're lying, y'know. We've been together long enough for me to have that down."

America's eyes widened, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Not a look Denmark saw on him often. It made him look younger, softer, less like the superpower he was. "I..." America cleared his throat. "It's not like that! It's just - I need to take care of this, but I'd rather spend my time with you." He gave him a smile, holding up two fingers. "Give me two seconds. I'm almost done here."

He was telling the truth that time, Denmark thought. Or he mostly was. There was a hint of something else, holding something back, and Denmark wasn't sure if he wanted to press further. Did he really want to get into that?

There was a time when he would have pushed for the full answer. But that had been before America knew him, and poking at anything too forcefully never did get him anywhere. So Denmark nodded, and let him finish.

It really wasn't long at all, and soon America came over, sliding his strong arms around Denmark's waist. Denmark leaned back against him, letting his eyes shut as America nuzzled at his neck.

He'd ask about it later, he decided. It could wait.

* * *

They had been getting hot and heavy before bed, lips locked and hands up each other's shirts, when... _of course_ –

America groaned as he pulled away, reaching for the night table where his phone sat, ringing.

Denmark sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched as America, rather than declining the call, answered it and left the room, cradling the phone between his shoulder and ear as he adjusted his clothing.

"Hey, what's up? What can I do for you?"

There was a seriousness in his tone, and in spite of the friendly greeting, a sharp note under it all. To Denmark's ear, he didn't sound pleased. He wondered if the person on the other end of the call heard it, too.

America's voice quieted as he slipped into the kitchen. Denmark scrubbed a hand down his face and waited. The conversation in the kitchen was muffled, but not nearly enough for his liking. He rose and gently pressed the bedroom door shut, then went to open the window. Stood there for a moment, breathing in the night air. It was still bright outside. Plenty of time to take a walk before bed.

He had half a mind to do just that and leave America to deal with whatever it was that his boss was calling him about now. At least if he took a walk by himself, there'd be no chance of the mood getting ruined by an ill-timed call.

He closed his eyes. Listened to the sound of birds singing and the sea pressing against his shoreline. It wouldn't help things much to get all fussed about the interruptions; he knew that. But that didn't mean he wouldn't be annoyed for a while.

Only minutes later, the door opened. Footsteps. The soft beep of a phone being plugged in.

"Your folks don't think much of work-life balance, do they," Denmark said. He leaned against the window sill, sighing as a breeze slipped in and ruffled his hair.

"Hey, man, my balance is fine. And we're all good now." America came up behind him, coiling his arms around Denmark's waist. Rested his head against his shoulder as he pulled Denmark's body close. "So, where were we?"

Really? Denmark thought. You want to go back to what we were doing after that? "Are you kidding?" he said out loud. His hands moved to cover America's, the gesture partly affectionate, and partly making sure that those hands wouldn't go anywhere else. He wasn't in the mood any more. "They _do_ know you aren't here for work, right?"

"Yes!"

"But they keep contacting you."

"Look, I know you're all about taking time off and hygge and all that stuff, but that's not how we operate over at my place."

An obvious excuse. While Denmark couldn't see it, he could imagine America's expression – a smile, but not the real, genuine kind. The kind that served a purpose, more like punctuation than anything else.

"I see." Denmark gave America's hands a squeeze. "My folks do see things differently, sure. But it wasn't like this the last time you were on vacation at my place."

"That was a long time ago. Like, more than ten years ago. We didn't even have smartphones back then. You're losing track of time, man." America's grip tightened, hugging Denmark close as he let out a long, heavy sigh.

Well, Denmark thought. He _was_ right. They'd been able to see each other plenty of times recently at world meetings and other events, but the last time they had really been able to have any amount of long, planned-out private time together had been over a decade ago. Their schedules never matched up just right. "And now you're busier?" he offered.

"Sure, it's that, but I'm..." There was a huff, almost a laugh. Warm breath fluttered against Denmark's neck. "I get worried sometimes. You know? Sometimes I don't know when I need to stick around, and when I can trust everybody at home to handle it while I'm away. So, anyway, usually I'd tell my boss that if they need anything, they could give me a call. But... the last few years have been crazy. I figured it wouldn't hurt to send that note out to everybody who might need it, and let them know that they could contact me if they had to. Like, it would be one of those working vacations."

"That wasn't really what we planned, y'know." Not in the least, Denmark thought. Suddenly, the details of what America had said caught up to him. "Wait a minute. Everybody? What d'you mean by that?"

"I mean _everybody_ , dude."

Denmark groaned. "Seriously?!" he asked, turning his head to raise an eyebrow at him.

America grinned. Sheepish this time. "Uh... yeah. Looks like they took me at my word."

"Looks like it." Denmark thought about that for a moment. Imagined sending that kind of memo out to everyone in his own government. He decided that was something he'd rather _not_ think about. "No wonder you've been getting messages nonstop."

"Yeah. It... didn't work out how I thought it would, I guess."

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Denmark brushed his fingertips against America's hands, thinking about everything he'd said. Suddenly, everything made a lot more sense.

America was quiet. In the reflection of the glass, Denmark could see that he was chewing his lower lip, thinking hard. Deciding.

"Okay," America said after a moment. "How about this. I'll recall that message, and send out a note that the 'working vacation' is a real vacation, and nobody should contact me unless it's a real emergency. Like, if there's an alien invasion or something."

"D'you get a lot of those at your place?"

"Hey man, you never know." A chuckle. "And I'll put it on silent when we're busy. Okay?"

Denmark let out a long breath. "Okay," he said. "Sounds great." He knew that it was a tall order, and that America had good reasons to want to be on call all day, every day. He also knew that kind of thing could drive any human crazy, never mind a nation who was trying to have some relaxing private time with his partner. America's suggestion was the closest thing to a happy medium that they were likely to get.

Slowly turning around, he moved to take America's face in his hands. Leaning down, he kissed him firm and deep. America kissed back eagerly, pulling him closer, almost clingy now that they'd had that heart-to-heart.

"We should get out for a while," Denmark said as they broke the kiss, nuzzling against America's cheek. "Go for a walk. It'll be a long time before it gets dark."

"Make up for lost time?"

"That's what I was thinking."

America grinned. Earlier, he'd seemed exhausted; now, his face had that familiar infectious warmth that Denmark liked so much. "Awesome," he said, and let go of Denmark, striding over to the night table to pick up his phone. "I'll let everyone know, and then we can start actually enjoying ourselves."

* * *

The surf was cool on their feet.

They walked along where the strand met water, the gentle roll of it soaking their sandals. Their hands brushed, then linked.

America squeezed his hand, and Denmark squeezed back.

They'd both left their phones at the house.

The seashore was quiet, sleepy. Nobody out except shore birds calling. America looked lost in his thoughts. All that quiet was too much quiet, as far as Denmark was concerned, so he started talking. Going on about how he'd always liked this spot, how he'd come by now and then even in the old days. That it had seemed just right. But he hadn't thought to get himself a proper residence here, and that was for the better, because if he'd done that back in the day, it would've been some grand big place, and nothing half as cozy as what he had now.

Denmark kept talking, letting himself go on, knowing that the words didn't matter as much as the feeling behind the words, and the fact that they could share this moment together.

"Hey," America said after a while, tugging at Denmark's hand.

"Yeah?"

He stopped. Turned to give America a good look. America was smiling, warm and genuine – exactly the kind of smile Denmark loved to see.

"Thanks. For, you know, helping me pull my head out of my ass. I feel better already."

"Good to hear it." Denmark reached out to touch his face. "I mean, it ain't like you didn't have reasons, but..."

"But it wasn't a great idea. I know." America drew him closer. The stress from earlier that day was gone, his eyes clear and bright. As he coiled his arms around Denmark's waist, he leaned in close, the smile slipping into a grin. "So, how should I make it up to you?"

_Well_. Denmark had a few ideas, and then some. Leaning in close, he stole a kiss, keeping it light, keeping it sweet. They could start over again. Round two. Take this vacation from the top. Do it right.

"How about this," he said, moving to whisper it by America's ear, even though they couldn't be more alone. "Let's go back to the house and pick up where we left off. Sound good?"

America sucked in a breath. Tilted his head to steal another kiss. Then pushed Denmark away, grinning "Race you back!" he said, and took off running.

Denmark chased him. They ran, feet slapping the surf, their laughter mixing with the sound of the waves.

They were off to a great start.


End file.
